The Chilling Continuation
by The Unfortunate Daughter
Summary: And we thought the end was nigh. Fear, dear readers, bad luck isn't quite done with our darling orphans yet.
1. Prologue

= = = WARNING = = =

As desperately as I wish I didn't have to write out this horrid entry, I must, for Mr. Snicket is compromised at the moment and cannot reach a typewriter in Antarctica. It is rather cold where he is, you see, and the ink could very well freeze as he types.

He thought it was the end. I admit that I even brushed the sweat off my brow as my employer informed me the Bauldelaire story was over. That was all we could find. The orphans who I had become so close to over these past years were at peace.

But no. It was not to be. More unfortunate events were to come, and escaping the island was just the first bit.

You see, next to the warehouse, (location undisclosed; We can't be found) where Mr. Snicket writes and I support, there is construction. It is very loud and obnoxious, but no one would think a writer could hide out in such a place. Hiding in plain sight works out very nicely on the occasions it decides to work out in your favor. Anyway, this construction involves tools that crack things, and, well, one day as they were cracking the ground, a wall in our warehouse burst open. Upon inspection, it was discovered this wall was hollow. And what lay within was the worst discovery possibly ever made.

We recovered yellowing papers in folders used for too long in a dank, hollow wall. With shaking hands, my employer opened them slowly. Contained inside were more Bauldelaire stories. With a yell, he dropped the papers (which I later discovered were anagrammed with V.F.D. all over), and departed in a haste I had not seen him use in years. I picked the discarded information up and scanned it, sighing with resignation as I eyed the typewriter on the table nearby.

Although the uncharacteristic leave of Mr. Snicket puzzled me, I assumed quickly he must have a plan. Mr. Snicket always had a plan. I tried not to focus on it too much as I sat down slowly at the writing machine, loading a beige and worn out paper onto the top mechanism and slowly turned the knob to lower it, much like an executioner adjusts the guillotine.

And I began to write, which is what you see here. My, it's already nightfall and I haven't even begun to tell you the frightening tales that descend upon the Bauldelaires this time. Reader, beware. If this doesn't concern you; or if you feel like having sweet dreams tonight, and many nights to come; or if you don't like unhappy endings that will raise the hair on your neck; or if you'd rather be satisfied at the end of a story; Don't turn the page.

Reader has been warned.


	2. Chapter 1

= = =CHAPTER ONE= = =

The Bauldelaire orphans were tired. As it should be, of course, three children alone on a desert island in the middle of a vast ocean containing sinister submarines and malevolent marine mammals, with nothing but their brains and a few resources should feel tired after taking one skip in a hopscotch game.

But these three children were different. As one may or may not know, the three children I am referring to have been through much more than any person should have to be dealt, much less three. Their parents had been killed in a horrible accident, for the most part they had been bouncing around from horrible guardian to horrible guardian, been chased by a crazed actor named Count Olaf (although he wasn't much of a Count), along with his girlfriend, Esme, and a strange organization that could be evil or could be good, but the orphans were so tired of choosing sides lately, they had decided it should be shades of grey. Perhaps to one person it could be bad, to another, good.

But, being alone on a desert island as they were, they hadn't heard much from crazy relatives or actors, or grey organizations. They had heard seagulls and waves crashing against the sandy shore, and the leaves in the great tree at the center of the sandy mass blow gently in the afternoon breeze.

The Bauldelaires liked it here very much. They were away from trouble, for now, and they could be together. It was safe, here, even though to any ordinary person, it would've been the most dangerous place in the world. But it felt a tiny bit like home, so the children were happy.

The children also had one more passenger aboard their sad lives; Little Beatrice, mother deceased, father unknown. They had raised the little girl as their own, naming her after their mother, also deceased, as mentioned earlier. Beatrice had added a nice touch to the now-quartet, providing a bit of hope to the orphans' dismal lives. Over the one year they had had their little girl, she had grown to be a little over half of Sunny's height. She was a giggling, straight-haired, bundle of joy, who enjoyed the company of her adoptive family very much. It had been discovered rather quickly that she loved water, coconuts, and the color red.

The orphans discovered this the day a red scarf washed up on shore. At the time, Beatrice (Or BeaBea, as Sunny referred to her), was building sand castles. Her big eyes fell upon the discarded object and she started laughing in that way that only babies can. It is the very definition of joy. This drew everyone's attention, as BeaBea began waddling frantically down the shore towards the cloth. She waded into the waves, as she was an excellent swimmer for a one-year-old, and pulled it out triumphantly. She hadn't taken it off since she found it, and on the day of departure, it had two weeks.

That is a rather long time for such a grown-up-baby.

But I suppose I should introduce the other main characters of this story, for what is the story without them?

Sunny was the youngest Bauldelaire and the best cook out of all four. One simply could not survive on cold food for one's whole life, could one?

Klaus was the book-smart one. He could give one important information that one might need or might not. Either way, Klaus knew it.

Violet was the oldest and the cleverest of the three. She invented things that needed inventing. One needed inventions in one's life, or else one could simply not survive.

If by now these names don't tug on a familiar heart string in your brain, dear reader, I suggest you exit out of this web browser immediately and not run to the nearest bookstore to pick up the first thirteen books of this dreadful series. Just forget you ever read the names so your mind does not focus on three children's struggles. And if these names do tug on that brain string, I suggest you cut it with mental scissors, dear readers. It only gets worse from here, and no one really wants this saga to continue, do they?


	3. Chapter 2

= = =CHAPTER TWO= = =

On the day of departure, as the family dubbed it, the boat was tested 7 times before Klaus held up one thumb towards the sky.

"Are you sure, Klaus?" Violet asked, as she came to stand behind her brother, to look at their handiwork. Their boat, the product of many long days connecting it and making sure it could ride, floated on a tiny bed of water that fed into the sea around them. It looked sturdy enough, but Violet tended to be an over-thinker in these cases.

Klaus nodded slowly, glancing over at his older sister. "I tested it 7 times, so our first voyage won't be cursed."

"I didn't know you believed in superstitious things like that."

"After what's been happening lately, Vi, I don't know what to believe anymore."

She placed a thin hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "I know. But this could be the next step. This could be salvation."

"I thought this island could be salvation." Klaus replied, looking around lovingly at the orphans' latest shelter.

Violet smiled sadly. "We have to rejoin civilization sometime."

"What has civilization ever done for us?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But it's worth one more try."

"We'll never find this place again." Klaus muttered, moving away from the comforting hold of his sister's hand and began lifting the boat out. He heard her sigh behind him.

"I know."

She left. Klaus began dragging the boat towards the shore.

x x x

Sunny wasn't sure if she enjoyed mothering BeaBea. Most little girls dreamed of being mothers, but Sunny hadn't really had a mother around to aspire to be like, so she was winging it with her newest companion. Beatrice was a rather tame child. At first it had been hard, trying to feed her and change her clothes when accidents happened, but she had learned how to use a toilet properly, as the Bauldelaires had a limited supply of diapers. She had to be taught quickly, and she had learned how to eat harder food and even dress herself (except for tying things. She couldn't grasp knots yet).

The youngest Bauldelaire had taught her most of what she knew, being herself so close to babyhood herself. She showed Beatrice how to waddle and even taught her how to bite, in case she was ever unable to defend herself, which was a silly thought, considering babies are defenseless almost all the time. But Sunny had stepped in as a mother, worried that Violet already had enough to worry about and Klaus not exactly being the motherly type. "Stay still BeaBea." Sunny scolded, as she slipped a dress over the little girl's head. BeaBea squealed and started jumping around, almost falling before Sunny caught her.

"Sonny!" Beatrice gurgled up at her friend. She still couldn't pronounce Sunny, but Sunny didn't mind. Sonny was fine by her.

"Violet?" the infant asked, as rapidly approaching footsteps became apparent behind her.

"Yes, it's me. I spotted dark clouds off in the distance. It's time to leave."

Sunny nodded and wrapped Beatrice in a backpack made out of a potato bag, handing her to Violet with a little difficulty, being that a young thing like Sunny still found it a challenge to lift a one-year-old. Violet hitched the baby onto her back and took her sister's hand, walking towards the sea.

xxx

"Are you all ready?" Klaus called, already in the boat, waiting for the girls.

"We are! Wait for us, Klaus!" Violet called, smiling a bit.

Sunny waved, quickly flicking her eyes to the potato-pack to make sure BeaBea was safe. She was still happy as ever.

The three climbed into the homemade boat, and Klaus kept an eye on the horizon as he untied the old rope. "Those dark clouds don't look good."

The two other Bauldelaires followed his eyes. "I spotted those earlier. You think they're a threat?"

"Big storm?"

Klaus nodded. "Yeah, Sunny. Big storm." He threw the ropes on the beach as the tide grabbed the boat and began to carry it away.

"Off again." Violet said under her breath, taking control of the rudder, with Klaus manning the sails. "Full speed ahead."


	4. Chapter 3

= = =CHAPTER THREE= = =

One loses track of time while sailing. It's a funny thing, because the only thing people think about while driving is time, and the same with trains and planes and bikes and even spaceships.

But sailing presents a new plane of existence, because there is no existence. It's you and the water, and you have tiny little tools to guide the boat that carries you atop this massive element which could be broken as easily as you could if the water chooses to. It's a strange thing, but it's true.

The Bauldelaires had lost track of time out on that boat, as the tide brought them closer to the destination they weren't sure of. None of them were sure about it. They were guessing. None of them had any trace of a clue as to where they would end up. In the back of Violet's mind, she thought they might die before they reached their destination.

xxx

"Vi, turn that a little to the right, please?" Klaus asked, letting the white sails catch the wind and propel them forward. Sunny and Beatrice had fallen asleep next to each other, so the older children had a bit of time to discuss older children things.

"Klaus?" Violet asked nervously, keeping a hand on the directional tool.

"Yeah." He said curtly, checking a stray compass that had washed up on shore two days ago. It said North was West and South was North, so Violet didn't understand how it could help, but she went ahead anyway.

"Do… Do you think we'll ever see Quigly again? Or Isadora?"

Klaus stopped a moment, and gripped the side of the boat. He stayed quiet for a long time. Violet did too, looking away off into the cloudy sky. Sun rays broke through the clouds a distance off. It looked like something out of a picture. Like the ones in the museums the Bauldelaire children used to accompany their parents to so often.

"I'm not sure." The middle orphan said finally. He looked over at Violet, who looked back sadly. "I don't think we're ever going to see a lot of people ever again."

"It's sad to think we've made so many allies only to lose most of them."

Klaus exhaled sadly. "All of them, Violet. There's none left. They're all dead."

"Or want nothing to do with us."

"Exactly."

The siblings stayed quiet again for a long time, the only sound was the whistling wind and the shifting waves. Violet hesitated, before, "Klaus?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it really our fault? All of this?"

Klaus shook his head quickly, his longish hair getting in the way of his glasses. He tucked it back. "Vi, we may have done a lot of things," He stopped and stood up straight, facing his eyes toward the horizon. "But we didn't cause any of this. And before you say it; we didn't deserve any of it either."

Violet's eyes filled up with tears for a moment before she quickly shook it off. She could be strong. She was broken; her whole family was. It wasn't a hard thing to see. But she was the leader now. She would keep them safe. She would be the one who could break through the clouds. Just like that sunshine.

"We're – " Klaus started.

Violet held up a hand and looked at him straight on. He looked at her, puzzled. "I'm going to get us through this, Klaus. Don't take this burden on. It's my job."

Klaus smiled warmly and opened his mouth to say something more, perhaps "I love you", or "I'll help", but never got too, as a thunderous roar, muffled by the water, erupted under the boat. Klaus passed Violet an alarmed look and bent over the side of the boat, as Violet did the same. Neither Bauldelaire saw anything unusual, and Violet sat up slowly, pulling the sleeping Beatrice onto her back and a groggy, half-awake Sunny onto her lap.

The middle orphan studied the water a long time, before sitting up as well and rubbing his eyes behind his clear lenses. "False alarm, I – "

He never finished the sentence.

With an identical roar, and a huge splash to accompany it, a giant tentacle-looking object burst from the dark sea, a crushed ship coiled within its slippery grasp. The Bauldelaires stared in wide-eyed surprise and shock and fear as Klaus scrambled to his sisters and held them close. Bea sat snoring on Violet's back (she was a very heavy sleeper, you see).

The giant tentacle-looking object proceeded to throw the ship towards a nearby formation of rocks, and all three siblings jumped as a crunch accompanied flying wood and the destruction of something already destroyed. The long limb disappeared back into the water, and after a moment, the ocean was as calm as it had been before the display.

The Bauldelaires shared a look before they were lifted a hundred feet into the air by the giant tentacle. Klaus yelped and held onto his family; Violet screamed and brought Bea between them; Sunny cried silent tears as she dutifully grasped BeaBea.

The tentacle did not crush the tiny boat in its death grip, but instead reared back to catapult it towards the same place it had thrown the previous ship. Violet, being a quick and sometimes quite reckless thinker, swiftly grabbed her ribbon from her pocket and sloppily tied it into her hair. She didn't know if this could work, but it was the only chance they had. She ripped the weak paper sails and made it into a rope. "Everyone hold on, okay?" She yelled, gripping her end. Klaus followed suite, and so did Sunny, after wrapping it around BeaBea.

"Alright, when I say now, we all jump. Understand?" She cried, as the tentacle flicked their rowboat into the air, sailing over the waves, and Violet caught sight of the previous wreckage, surrounded by hundreds other like it. A ship graveyard.

She quickly got over the view and spotted the key to her plan, thanking her lucky stars it could work. "Get ready…" She said, pulling her family close. "Get ready…" The boat began losing altitude, heading on a collision course with some extremely sharp rocks. "Wait…"

They were almost at it. She had to time this perfectly.

"NOW!" She screamed, leaping from the boat, pulling Klaus and Sunny and Beatrice close after her.

The four children fell for a bit; it seemed like an eternity to Violet, but it quickly sped up as she saw her plan would work. She landed a bit roughly, but safely, on the ship's sail, stretched between the mast and the torn up deck. The other Bauldelaires fell soon after, all safe, if not a bit shaken up.

"Everyone alright?" asked Sunny, sitting up slowly. Unanimous nods assured the young girl and she wiped away a few tears. "Good. Being alright is good."

Violet smiled weakly and rustled her hair, before standing up to survey their current surroundings. "The only question is… How do you escape a place with no way to get out?"


	5. Chapter 4

= = =CHAPTER FOUR= = =

There's no difference between different graveyards. And many people might not consider there are even different graveyards. One's windowsill is a graveyard of dead bugs and leaves. A forest is a graveyard for plants. A drain is a graveyard for water. A cemetery is a graveyard for humans. A ship graveyard is a graveyard for all means of transport in water.

But they are all the same. They are all the final resting places of things that have lived out their determined time here with us. Things that are exhausted and dead, and can't be used anymore or use anything. So they are buried or destroyed or burned, to show that they are no longer needed.

In the case of ship graveyards, the ships float around as useless driftwood, a grim display to any creature that happens to cross paths with one.

The four creatures standing on the mast and examining a rather scary ship graveyard were the Bauldelaire orphans and their adopted "daughter" Beatrice.

But, unfortunately, you already knew this. What you did not knew was what came next.

xxx

Violet covered her eyes with a makeshift hand visor, surveying the children's surroundings. "There's nothing. I don't even see a whole boat around here."

"Ship, actually." Klaus corrected, removing his wet glasses and attempting to dry them on his wet shirt. He suddenly froze. "Did anyone happen to grab our provisions?"

Sunny looked up at him curiously. That was a new word she had let to learn, and Sunny loved learning new words, even in times of crisis such as this. "Provisions?" she repeated slowly. "Do we need those?"

Klaus sighed and nodded. "Yes, Sunny. Provisions are supplies."

Oh, Sunny knew what supplies were. She needed supplies every time she cooked. She bit her finger in fear. Supplies were very important, and supplies were definitely needed in a time such as this, she supposed.

Violet rubbed her temples and looked down at the churning sea foam below them, washing up on the deck of the dead ship they were standing on. A compass and some bamboo sticks were floating there, and in the waves were some coconuts and what looked like glass bottles. Which were probably filled with fresh water from the source on their island. Because all those ruined provisions were probably theirs.

"No, Klaus, I didn't get a chance to grab them when we were being hurtled through the air by who knows what." She said calmly, sitting down and tightening the ribbon to ensure it wouldn't slip off. Sunny sat by Beatrice, who was snoring, and Klaus simply collapsed, too tired to think about how to sit at the moment. The Bauldelaires sat there for some time, not needing to say anything or think about anything, really. So they sat. Because sometimes sitting is all a person can do.

"Explore?" Sunny said, breaking the sitting silence.

Violet smiled tiredly over at her little sister. "You want to explore?"

Sunny hesitated, and then nodded. "Might find provisions. I can cook."

Klaus sat up and looked at Violet, who looked back with an approving glance. "Alright, Sunny. Let's go find some provisions, then." The oldest sibling stood, taking Beatrice on her back and taking Sunny's hand in her own, gesturing for Klaus to follow. The middle Bauldelaire grudgingly agreed and hopped up, following his sisters as they stepped onto the jagged rocks.

Sunny led the tiny family over soaked reefs and across tide pools teeming with starfish and the occasional eel. Beatrice was now partly awake, sitting drowsy-eyed upon Violet's back. The Bauldelaires passed by dozens of boats, of all different sizes and origins, floating just below the murky surface. Violet shuddered when a cold wind blew past them, making the wood creak loudly and almost knocking Sunny off the cliffs. Klaus dived forward however, and grabbed his littlest sister, pulling her back to safety. She pointed towards a wreckage nearby. "Look. Too perfect."

Klaus looked, but didn't understand what she was trying to say. "What, Sunny?"

Sunny Bauldelaire struggled as she tried to think of the words to describe what she was talking about. She was still very young and sometimes she couldn't put the words together like she wanted to. What she was trying to convey was that the mast on the ship looked like it had been set that way purposely. It looked like a canopy or the entrance to a tent.

Violet stood behind her family and peered where Sunny's tiny finger was gesturing. "Look, she's right. It's too perfect. Like someone put it that way." Sunny smiled up at her sister.

Klaus hoisted Sunny up and she held onto his neck as he looked too. "I suppose you're right. Think it's dangerous?"

"Has that ever stopped us before?" The oldest sibling retorted, making her way towards the canopy tent mast. Klaus realized she was right and gave a surrendering sigh before adjusting his sister and following after Violet. She had stopped just outside the tent and was trying to get a better look inside. Klaus came up next to her and narrowed his eyes. "This might've been a bad choice." She muttered.

"Has that ever stopped us before?" Klaus reached a hand to open the fabric, but just before he reached it a huge hairy hand lifted it away and a balding head with missing teeth poked itself from it's depths.

"Who be there!?" It demanded. Violet shrieked and stumbled back a few steps, slipping on the wet rocks. This caused a half-asleep Beatrice to slip out of her comfortable potato sack and fall into the churning waters. The balding head gasped and emerged completely from the fortress, revealing himself to be a giant man, at least 7 feet, dressed in what appeared to be a tattered pirate costume. He leapt into the water after Bea, and the Bauldelaires stood there, crying, helpless, and hoping that their youngest member wouldn't be a victim to death like the rest of their family.


End file.
